With Scott Free reduced to a bloody pulp and Darkseid in possession of the Miracle Child, Supergirl, Steel, and Lois Lane have no choice but to retreat to the remaining heroes’ Secret Sanctuary. Now that the New Gods have chosen to join Darkseid and betray Earth’s forces, our heroes have only one choice: team up with the biters to escape extinction. Will Lois’s ragtag group of human survivors and Barbara’s army of vampires be able to set aside their grudges and work together? Or will Darkseid and the New Gods be successful in their campaign to eradicate humanity and prevent the cosmic spread of vampirism? To overcome such overwhelming odds, our heroes must first answer the question:
“Who are you loyal to?”
SPOILERS AHEAD for DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11!
DC Comics
Mixing equal measures of horror, action, and humor, DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11 is a bloody great cocktail prepared to satisfy every creature of the night. Rosenberg’s script strikes an excellent balance between humor and action as Earth’s remaining humans and Barbara Gordon’s vampiric army form an uneasy alliance. Otto Schmidt’s artwork and Pierluigi Casolino’s colors do the heavy lifting as the creators perfectly convey the tone and emotion of each sequence. Whether it be the artist’s use of facial expressions, cinematic action, or foreboding horror, Schmidt’s work, complemented by Casolino’s colors, is pure delight. Unfortunately, the narrative momentarily stalls as the Rosenberg uses each chase sequence to position his chess pieces for the final battle.
After the tragic “squish” during the conclusion of last month’s issue, DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11 finds Darkseid in possession of the Miracle Child and the rest of our heroes on the run. It is during the quieter sequences, as our human heroes regroup and form a tenuous truce with the biters, that Rosenberg’s script shines. The writer does an excellent job of interjecting humor through witty dialogue in each character interaction. As Lois Lane begins to rally the troops, Oliver Queen provides a petty correction that humorously breaks the tension. Additionally, Lois Lane’s less-than-subtle “ahem” during Barbara’s diatribe to the Vampires serves as a reminder to the human lives lost, much to the Vampire Queen’s disdain.
It is during this rally cry that things deteriorate as Damian unsuspectedly murders Barbara in front of the entire audience. By punctuating this sequence of hope with horror, Rosenberg expertly provides a genuine moment that capitalizes on shock value. The writer does an excellent job of building the tension by switching to Wonder Woman’s perspective before returning to the fallout. With this sequence, the writer never takes his foot off the pedal, as he and the rest of the creative team demonstrate Diana’s ruthlessness and cunning in dispatching Darkseid’s Furies.
“It’s an absurd doomsday weapon. Designed by people who want to eat us… as vaguely described by an escaped mental patient… for the purpose of killing an alien race no one knows anything about.”
DC Comics
At this point, we return to the main plot of the issue as the humans and vampires are tearing each other apart. However, once the New Gods arrive to eradicate the vampiric and human threat, it quickly becomes every individual for themselves. Whether it is through conveying Barbara’s humorous disdain through facial expressions or portraying cinematic action set pieces, it is clear that Otto Schmidt’s artwork and Pierluigi Casolino’s colors are doing the real heavy lifting for DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11. This sequence is no exception. By filling the negative space behind the panels with vampiric hordes, the visual creators build a sense of claustrophobia among our human heroes and the readers.
Casolino’s use of orange and red hues evokes the rage burning between these two factions before the New Gods open up the heavens and rain hell upon the infected and their allies. Throughout the entirety of DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11, Pierluigi’s colors do an excellent job of conveying the tone and emotion that the reader should feel. Never is this more evident than with the panels depicting the death of Barbara Gordon, the battle between the humans and vampires, and this issue’s dramatic conclusion. Their work during each of these moments provides strikingly memorable visuals.
Following the telepathic call of The Spectre, the remaining humans and vampires flee from the New Gods to the last remaining bastion of hope for survival. Rosenberg uses Harley Quinn to break up the tension during this sequence by interjecting her trademark humor. The writer absolutely nails Harley’s style of humor as she helps the survivors recreate the blueprints for Barbara’s “New God Killing Machine.” Some of the visual comedy feels out of place given the tone of the rest of the issue. However, it is true to Quinn’s current characterization and provides some much-needed levity to a dire situation.
“You are nothing but an illness for which there is only one cure.”
DC Comics
DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11 concludes with one of the strongest moments of the entire series. As the vampiric Wonder Woman arrives with the rest of the survivors, it is revealed that she is now Queen of the vampires. Her request is simple: Damian must die for the vampires to join the humans in their fight against Darkseid. What follows is an emotionally charged moment as Green Lantern Alfred decides he must be the one to do the deed. Schmidt and Casolino perfectly capture Alfred’s frustration, rage, and sadness as well as the smug sense of victory surrounding Diana. The creators perfectly capture her horror-fueled aura as Pennyworth ends the boy’s life with the ring’s power.
Aside from Harley Quinn’s humor feeling slightly out of place, there are a few minute problems that I have with DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11. The first comes from structuring the issue that many of the blockbuster moments are bookended by the heroes’ retreat. From a narrative standpoint, it makes sense as the heroes are continually pushed back to the point of desperation. However, each time they retreat, I’m reminded of a game of chess. Here, we can see that all of the pieces are being moved into a specific place as others are being completely removed from the board. As a result, this issue feels almost like too much setup despite some emotionally charged moments.
My only other gripe with this issue comes from the backup story from Cecil Castellucci. It’s an interesting take on using the Shade powers to imbue the blood with empathy rather than madness, and what effects it might have on the vampires. However, thematically and visually, this backup story does not feel completely in sync with the rest of the issue. I’m curious about the impact this tale might have on the series’ conclusion.
Mixing equal measures of horror, action, and humor, DC vs. Vampires: World War V #11 is a bloody great cocktail prepared to satisfy every creature of the night. Ultimately, Rosenberg’s script strikes an excellent balance between humor and action as Earth’s remaining humans and Barbara Gordon’s vampiric army form an uneasy alliance. Whether it be the artist’s use of dynamic facial expressions, cinematic action, or foreboding horror, Otto Schmidt’s artwork, complemented by Pierluigi Casolino’s colors, does this issue’s heavy lifting. Unfortunately, although accurate, Harley Quinn’s humor does feel out of place, and the chase sequences do make this issue feel like mostly setup for the series’ conclusion.
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